The Story of Brody and Ana

By Anita Claire

Brody is a busy man, he doesn’t have time for a social life. He definitely doesn’t have time for a girlfriend. Even so, he finds the pretty women at the chiropractor’s office appealing.

Ana, a wildlife biologist, social life has flatlined. She’s surprised when the attractive man at her chiropractor's office jump starts her heart. After multiple unsuccessful attempts at trying to engage him, Ana tells him about one of her mountain lions getting poisoned.

Brody’s interest is piqued. He decides to take a day off to help Ana find what effected her cat.

Their adventure turns into much more than either of them ever expected.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anita Claire
• Release date: Jun 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9780463182680

Anita Claire

Anita Claire is an author of contemporary romance novels. Her books explore women who hold non-traditional jobs and the situations they encounter. She writes about smart, hard-working women and the men they fall in love with.

Book preview

Chapter 1 – The Chiropractor

Ana

Have you ever thought your social life has flatlined? Did you wonder if there’s a way to start it back up? Then suddenly, something out of the ordinary happens that completely shocks you?

It’s early in the morning and I’m already running late. I fly through the doors of Align Chiropractic, that's when my eyes land on him, and I freeze. I’ve never seen him here before. He’s busy scanning his phone, giving me an easy opportunity to stare. He looks to be about six feet tall, lean but built, with dark hair, and military grooming. I feel a strange prickly sensation of awareness as I sign in.

As I sit down it feels like he’s emitting a slow-burning energy. I watch him toggle between two phones as I search for something to say.

You know, they’ve performed extensive research into the possible health effects of exposure to the frequency spectrum of mobile phones. To date, there’s no known adverse health effect. After blurting that out, I slink down into my chair and close my eyes. Oh, Ana….

Finally, I open my eyes. He’s still sitting across from me, focused on his electronic devices, seemingly unaware of my comment.

This guy’s my idea of handsome. Trim build, sculpted features, like Michelangelo’s David, come to life.

Brody, Judy, the receptionist, calls out.

He gets up and grabs the clipboard from her.

Room three.

He takes no notice of me as I watch him exit the room. But as I look away, I realize Judy is watching me.

She smirks.

I smile back and shrug.

Nice line, she says.

Not wanting to go there, I smile and shrug again.

Brody

The lights in my chiropractor’s office flicker on as I park. I love it when my day runs like clockwork. That’s why I always schedule the first appointment. Generally, I’m alone in the waiting room. As I wait for the doctor to get ready a woman enters, signs in, and sits. I can feel her eyes on me. She makes an offhanded comment that I really didn’t catch. Then she smiles. Nice smile, yeah, she’s pretty.

Brody, the receptionist calls out.

Ana

...Same Time Next Week

I made sure to book an appointment for the same time the following week. The first thing I notice when I enter the office is Brody. He’s busy typing away. My face feels hot. My chest constricts. I sign in, then sit across from him.

I bet your back and shoulders are all screwed up from spending so many hours staring at your phone. You know, the ‘Smartphone hunch.’ I’m messed up from spending five hours a day trying not to move, while I sit on a tiny ledge.

He squints at me.

I press my lower back with my hand to illustrate my point. People who work in an office have ergonomic chairs.

He nods, then goes back to his phone.

Brody

… Same Time Next Week

It takes a long time to recover from whiplash. When you bend your head over your phone, the way you do, it doesn’t help the situation, Dr. Mosca comments while adjusting my back.

My hip is not my neck.

Everything’s connected. Your body has gone through a lot of trauma. She adjusts my mid-back. Working out is one of the best things you can do. Most problems can be fixed by taking care of yourself.

While I lie on the table staring down at the carpet, I think of the woman from the waiting room. I like her smile. It lights up her face and warms the air. Don’t go there, Brody. I don’t have time for a woman. Not even a hookup.

Turn over, please, Brody. Dr. Mosca digs her fingers into my neck before she firmly twists it.

My neck pops and cracks in instant relief.

I’ll see you Thursday. You know, if you stopped looking down at your phone you might not have to visit me so often.

If I stopped looking down at my phone, I’d be unemployed and unable to afford you.

All you tech workers keep me busy, she says as she exits.

On my way out, I look at the sign-in sheet. The name Ana Kadivar is clearly written right below my name. As I walk to my car, I Google her. Her picture comes up—nice.

Wait, you’re too busy, don’t go there.

Ana

…One Month Later

When I park and start toward the office, Brody pulls up and hops out of a shiny black car. A surge of energy runs through me, but he’s already pulled out his phone and is scrolling through it as our paths intersect.

I look down and notice some leaves on the ground. There must be a Liquidambar tree nearby. I pick up a leaf and hold it between my fingers. They’re indigenous to the Eastern U.S., but not California. It would be much better if people planted California natives, like California Sycamore or a Coast Live Oak.

He holds the door open as I walk inside.

I’ll take that into consideration next time I’m in the market for a tree.

Like a complete ninny, I flash him a big smile, because I don’t know what to say. The moment passes. His eyes move back to his phone.

Brody, room three, Judy says.

As he walks to the exam room, Judy leans over her desk and gives me a thumbs-up.

Was that positive? I ask.

He responded, so, yeah.

If my goal is to have hot-body-Brody say something to me, then this is a good start. Maybe, if he responds again, I can ask him something. But, what could that possibly be?

Ana

…Same Time Next Week

This is unusual. I brightly exclaim when I arrive at Dr. Mosca’s door and find Brody standing there, waiting. I wonder why Judy’s late.

He looks up from his phone and raises one eyebrow before looking back down.

I stand there for an uncomfortable minute. I think someone poisoned one of my lions, I blurt out. Now, I need to find out what she ate—hopefully, some of the carcass is still remaining.

He looks up. Really?

Right, it’s hard to believe someone would intentionally try to hurt a lion. They’re beautiful creatures. Whatever the case, it’s a sad situation. Either someone left out poisoned bait or there was a toxic spill in the mountains. I’m waiting for her tox screen to come back. I won’t know what killed her until then.

You have a lion?

She’s not my pet. She’s a wild animal.

Judy runs up to the door with her key out. Sorry!

We follow her inside.

Mountain lions are here for all of us to protect it’s the law of unintended consequences if you lose an animal in the food chain, it causes a chain reaction.

What are you going to do? Brody asks.

She was wearing a radio collar. I’ll need to map out all the points where she’s been. Then I’ll hike her trail to see if I can either find the animal she partially consumed or locate a toxic spill. That means I need to sample all the scat I can find and collect any dead animals, if I find any.

What will you do if you find the source?

If it’s a toxic spill, then we test it and try to trace it. Illegal dumping’s a crime. We also need to clean it up. It makes me angry when people are cheap, or lazy, and they hurt the environment. Everyone suffers and so many animals die. And so much money is wasted on cleaning up the mess.

Brody nods. He maintains eye contact, like he’s taking me in. His gaze is piercing.

Brody, room three.

Brody takes the clipboard and enters room three.

When the door closes, Judy leans over the counter. Now that was more than a random conversation. I think you actually engaged him this time.

Brody

…Same Time, Next Week

As I’m signing in, I see Ana enter out of the corner of my eye. I turn and hand her the pen. Did you find what poisoned your lion?

Not yet, I’m doing quadrant searches now.

You broke your territory into quadrants?

Yes, that’s how you know you covered all your area.

Very good.

You have experience with field surveys?

Yeah, I did some reconnaissance work in the Middle East.

The Army?

I nod. Do you need help? I volunteer the question before I weigh the consequences.

Help?

On the mountain.

The mountain?

I have to work. But, if I can arrange some free time, can I join you?

On the mountain?

That’s where the lion was.

Yeah.

Brody, room three, Judy interrupts us.

I grab the clipboard. What’s your number? I ask before heading back into the exam room.

My number?

Your phone number. You have a phone?

Oh, yeah…. she says, as she recites her number.

As I type her number in, I feel…happy. It’s been a while since I’ve been out in the field. Anyways, it’s not like I’m going to date her.

Chapter 2 – My Day

Brody

Once at the office, I go straight to the cafeteria. When I was in the Army, I ate most of my meals in one except Army cafeterias were never this posh and the food was never this good.

El Jefe, Carlos, the guy who runs the breakfast bar, greets me. You want the regular?

I give him a nod as both a greeting and an approval. As I fill my container with coffee, my VP of Customer Service approaches.

Brody, China’s starting a new run of attacks on American servers. The North Koreans are at it again...major denial of service attack on the East Coast, and it looks like the Russians are behind the new virus.

Have any of our customer’s systems been breached?

No, but today’s attacks are keeping us busy.

I nod and move away, making it back to Carlos in time to pick up my breakfast sandwich. My VP of Sales approaches. Walk with me, I command.

Are you ready to meet the customer in Chicago today?

I nod. Have your guy meet me at the airport for my briefing.

Which presentation are you giving at the dinner?

Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.

I almost make it to the door of my office when my CFO approaches. VCs want an update on going public.

Not this year.

That’s not what they want to hear.

I ignore that comment since that’s not my problem.

At my desk, I open up my laptop and take a bite of breakfast. Then I look up to see my CTO standing at my door.

We have an architecture meeting today at ten. You need to make it. We need to move ahead with the design.

I look at my schedule. My plane takes off at ten. Have your team meet me in an hour at the front door. We’ll discuss it on the way to the airport.

During the day’s first meeting, I watch Marketing, Support, and Engineering point fingers at each other for about five minutes. Same crap, new week. Pissed, I finally point to the product owner. You’re the lead, you make the decision, make this work. This is a team, you better have his back, I say to everyone else. Email me the resolution. The last thing you guys want is for me to make this decision. As I leave the room, I’m met by my assistant. Stay in there, I tell him. Don’t let them leave until they figure it out. Call me if it gets too crazy.

Halfway down the hall, I’m met by my Chief Legal Counsel We need to review the IP lawsuit, today, he says.

Meet me at the front door in ten minutes. Bring everyone you’ll need.

On the way back to my office, I avoid making eye contact and lift my hand up to brush away anyone who comes close to me. I grab my laptop and a dry-cleaning bag that has a full suit, shirt and tie in it before heading to the building’s entrance.

In the lobby, there are eight employees waiting for me. We’ll never fit in a car. Out the front door, I spot a bus, one that brings our workers down from San Francisco. I motion for everyone to follow me as I walk up to the bus and knock on the door.

Small change of plans, I tell the driver. You’re driving us to the San Jose Airport.

Dude, I can’t. I’m supposed to drive to the city.

I speed-dial my Facilities Manager. Get to the front door now!

I point to the guys following me. Find a seat, and then we’ll start our meeting.

Which meeting?

Yours.

By the time we arrive at the airport, we haven’t even made it halfway through the first discussion. Good thing I’m flying private. Everyone on the plane. We’ll discuss this on the way to Chicago.

After four hours of moving between the two meetings, decisions are made.

We’re set to take off at ten o’clock, the flight attendant confirms.

Is it cool for us to go into the city for dinner? one of the lawyers questions.

If you’re not back on this plane by ten, you're flying home commercial, I bark out before taking off.

Chapter 3 – Tomatoes

Ana

Brody said he would text. It’s been five days. A lot of guys say they’ll call, they’ll text...but it’s just a polite way for them to blow you off. Then again, it’s not like he said that after a date. He volunteered to join me; he asked for my number. I stare at my phone feeling confused and anxious.

***

Sunday afternoon I drive to my childhood home to check up on my dad. I find him in the backyard tending to his garden.

You live alone, how many tomato plants do you need? I hand him a cold drink.

You can’t buy a good-tasting tomato at the store. I like to put cherry tomatoes in my salad, the plums are great for sauce, the beefsteaks are perfect for slicing, and I couldn’t do without the Cherokee Purples since they taste so good. What I can’t eat, I bring to work. They’re gone within an hour.

Did you get together with anyone this weekend? I ask.

Ana, stop worrying about me, I’m fine.

But it’s not good to sit home all weekend alone with your tomato plants.

I read, I watched the game, I got caught up on some paper work…after such a busy week, it’s nice to relax.

Do you have dinner plans?

Dad shakes his head.

We can try out that new Middle Eastern restaurant by Broadway Plaza.

You’re just like your mother, always interested in trying out the latest restaurant.

You know, Mom’s been gone for a long time and we’re all grown. Don’t you think it’s about time you started dating.

Sweetheart, I’m fine. I have my job and my garden.

But is that enough? Don’t you think it would be more fun to garden with someone else? I’m not saying you have to fall in love and get married, but isn’t there some nice lady you can ask out for dinner?

What about you? You’re young isn’t it time for you to start living your life?

I’m fine, I’m busy, my life is full.

Don’t confuse being busy with full. Isn’t there a nice man you can date?

It’s not that easy.

Yet, you think it’s that easy for me.

That’s not what I’m saying. It’s just…if you know a nice woman, ask her out to dinner. Maybe she’s lonely and just waiting for a nice man that she can share a meal with.

Okay, I promise, the next single, nice woman I talk to, I’ll ask to dinner. But only if you promise me you’ll be open to going out with a nice man.

I’m open.

Oh Ana, you’re the one I worry about most. You’re so busy taking care of everyone else, you forget to take care of yourself.

That’s not true, I take great care of myself.

Here Ana, have a tomato.

***

My day in the field starts early. Loaded down with plenty of water, my college intern, Jack, and I start following the route my lion took. As we hike into the backcountry, I check for scat, tracks, dead prey, or any other animal signs. I’ve been tracking carnivores for years. I love being out here. I love the crisp clean air, the sound of my breath, the smells of the earth, and the proximity to wildlife that I get to experience while I’m scaling the difficult terrain. My lion spent very little time on fire roads and hiking trails, so my day is spent following deer trails through the dense forest, avoiding Poison Oak, cutting through chaparral, and hiking grassland. As I walk, I know where to look. When I find a pile of scat, I take a point on my GPS and bag a sample.

In the field, Internet access and satellite capture on the GPS is sketchy at best. Even so, I log where I am and what I find. Most of the time, my updates and messages don’t get sent until there’s better service. When I get back in the lab, I’ll test all the scat for poison. We still haven’t gotten our sick cat’s tox screen back from the UC Davis lab. On TV shows, the technology is relatively accurate, but the timing is super unrealistic. The shows make the turnaround seem like it happens in a minute.

After walking my lion’s path for hours, I mark our location on my GPS before Jack and I head back to my truck.

I drop Jack off at his apartment. Then drive to the lab to get my latest specimens tagged and ready for testing. When I finally get good Internet coverage, I check my e-mail and texts.

The vet left me an update.

Vet: Our lion has stabilized. It looks like she might live.

I scroll down to an out-of-state number.

Unknown: Are you doing a quadrant search tomorrow?

Could it be?

Ana: Who is this?

Unknown: Brody from Dr. Mosca's.

My face tingles red with heat.

Ana: Yes, do you still want to join me?

Brody: Yes

I start typing in a million different answers. Then I stop, delete. Then type, stop, delete. Ana, you have time. Think it over before you send him a text, I say to myself. After focusing, I come up with a plan. My fingers are jittery from excitement as I text him back.

Ana: I’ve got my supplies in my truck. I’ll pick you up at 6:30 a.m. What’s your address?

***

After slathering on plenty of sunscreen, I pull my hair back into my typical, backcountry braid. I don’t look pretty, but no other hairstyle is practical when you’re out in the field. I pack up plenty of food and water before taking off.

I park in front of Brody’s apartment. It’s about a mile from where I live. He’s